After missed embezzlement sentencing, ex-mayor found dead

POSEN, Ill. (AP) – A former mayor of a Chicago suburb was found dead after failing to show up for sentencing in an embezzlement case.

Former Posen mayor Donald W. Schupek was found dead in his home Thursday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office says the cause of death for the 79-year-old Schupek has not been determined.

Schupek pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement earlier this year in U.S. District Court. According to federal prosecutors, Schupek admitted to using $ 27,000 in village funds for personal expenses, including gambling. He was scheduled for sentencing Thursday.

Posen Mayor Frank Podbielniak said officers saw his car in his driveway and a judge issued a federal bench warrant to allow officers to enter the home and check on his well-being. That is when they discovered his body.